Genovese Mushroom Ragu with Trofie

Method9 steps · about 1 hr 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: For the author dried-porcini route, soak all 30 g dried porcini in hot water for about 30 minutes. Lift out the softened mushrooms and retain the soaking liquid, straining it through a fine sieve or cloth to remove grit. If using the 300 g fresh-porcini alternative instead, skip the soak and prepare them in step 2.

   Dried porcini only: soak 30 minutes · 30 minUses 30 g dried porcini only for the dried route · Hot water to cover and soak dried porcini

2. 2

   Step 2: Brush dirt from the fresh champignons and roughly cut them into small pieces. If using the fresh-porcini alternative, clean and cut all 300 g in the same way; otherwise keep the soaked porcini from step 1 ready.

   Uses 250 g fresh champignon mushrooms or other fresh mushrooms · 300 g fresh porcini only instead of the dried route

3. 3

   Step 3: Peel and very finely chop the onion. Cook it in a little olive oil in a heavy skillet until translucent. Add the prepared champignons and EITHER the soaked dried porcini OR the prepared fresh porcini, and cook together.

   Uses 1 onion (peeled and finely chopped) · A little olive oil for frying the onion · All the prepared champignons, plus fresh porcini only if that alternative was selected · All the soaked 30 g dried porcini only for the dried route

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Peel and chop the garlic, wash and chop the rosemary (1 sprig) and parsley. Add the garlic, rosemary and some of the chopped parsley to the mushrooms, holding the remaining parsley for serving. Cook a few minutes, then pour in the half-glass wine and allow it to evaporate.

   Uses The cooking onion and selected mushrooms · 1–2 garlic cloves · 1 sprig fresh rosemary · The single handful parsley, washed and chopped; add some and hold the rest · ½ glass dry white wine

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Blanch all 200 g fresh plum tomatoes in boiling water until their skins loosen. Lift them out, peel and chop them, then add all the prepared tomatoes to the mushroom pan.

   Uses The mushroom mixture after wine has evaporated · 200 g fresh plum tomatoes · Boiling water for blanching the tomatoes

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Season with sauce salt and rinse and add the two whole bay leaves. Once the fresh tomatoes begin to soften, add all 250 g passata for this selected route. Stir and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Start the pasta water in step 8 while the sauce finishes; check moisture as described in step 7.

   Simmer mushroom ragu · 30 minUses The sauce with the blanched chopped tomatoes · Salt for mushroom tomato sauce, to taste · 2 bay leaves · 250 g tomato passata for the selected fresh-tomato-plus-passata route

   
7. 7

   Step 7: If the sauce seems dry during its simmer and you used dried porcini, stir in a little of the retained strained soaking liquid as needed. If you used only fresh mushrooms, wait until the pasta is almost ready in step 8, then use a little water from the pasta pot instead.

   Uses The sauce during or after its simmer · Some retained strained soaking liquid only for the dried-porcini route

8. 8

   Step 8: Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add pasta-water salt. Cook all the dried trofie according to its own packet until al dente. For the fresh-mushroom route only, if the sauce needs loosening, spoon a little water from this pot into the sauce just before the pasta is ready.

   Uses Water for the pasta pot · Salt for the pasta cooking water, as needed · 400 g dried egg-free trofie · The simmered sauce; already loosened in step 7 if needed

9. 9

   Step 9: Remove and discard the whole bay leaves. Drain the trofie and mix with all the finished mushroom ragu. Add the remaining chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper. If desired, freshly grate some Parmigiano Reggiano over the plates; omit it for the author vegan version.

   Uses All the cooked trofie · All the finished sauce, loosened only as needed in step 7 or 8 · The remaining chopped parsley from the single handful · Freshly ground black pepper for serving, to taste · Some Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated for serving only if desired